Distinguished

Alumni Awards

california state univerity,

sacramento

2020 |

Distinguished Alumni Awards2020Hosted bySACRAMENTO STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONWITH THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTAND UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT

WelcomeMaster of Ceremonies Courtney Dempsey ’97 Good Day Anchor/Reporter, KMAX–TV Sacramento, CA

Introductions and Remarks Ron Brown ’86 President, Board of Directors, Sacramento State Alumni Association

Dr. Robert S. Nelsen President, Sacramento State

Presentation of Awards

Closing Remarks Jennifer Barber Assistant Vice President, Alumni Relations and the Sacramento State Alumni Association

CelebratingSacramentoState’sOutstandingAlumniEstablished in 1972, the Distinguished Alumni Awards are given jointly by the University and the Sacramento State Alumni Association to recognize alumni and friends for their professional achievements and community service.

Tonight, we recognize seven individuals who have achieved success in their chosen fields of endeavor and have brought distinction to the University and the community.

This evening’s honors will include four Distinguished Service Awards, two Rising Star Awards, and an Honorary Alumnus Award.

Lora Anguay ’13

Margot Bach ’72

Jennifer Barber

Melissa Bardo ’16

Karen Billeci ’83

Wally Borland ’74

Ron Brown ’86

Dr. Lisa Cardoza

Ryan Chan ’16

Dr. De-Laine Cyrenne ’05, MA ’07

Patrick Dorsey ’16, MPPA ’19

Robert Dugan ’89

Larry Gilmore ’85

Rabbil Green ’06

Tessa Haden ’15

Dr. Colette Harris-Mathews ’87

Lance Hastings ’87

Dr. Melissa Kistler ’85

Devin Lavelle, MPPA ’11

Noah Marty

Alyson Matsuo ’02, EMBA ’13

Amanda Merz ’12

Brenda Narayan ’00

Dr. Robert S. Nelsen

Jeff Owen ’88

Mariana Sabeniano ’06

Tim Shestek ’91

Rhonda Staley-Brooks ’95, EMBA ’18

Dr. Nancy Tooker

2020-2021 alumni association board of directors

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Preet Didbal ’98 (Physical Education)

Founder, Redefine and Empower

Preet has a passion for serving and empowering others. After finding the courage to be

more than a survivor, Preet became the first Sikh woman to hold the office of mayor,

not only in California but in the United States. She served in that position until 2018 and

focused her efforts on youth and underserved communities. This became the launching

point for Redefine and Empower, the consulting firm she started to help survivors of

sexual assault become truly authentic leaders, defy limits, and tackle challenges through

building confidence, courage, and self-esteem. In addition, Preet teaches as an adjunct

professor at Sacramento State and believes education and resources are the keys to a

better future.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Dr. Jamillah Moore ’92, MA ’95 (Communication Studies/Intercultural Communication and Public

Policy) President, Cañada College, San Mateo County Community College District

After earning two degrees at Sacramento State, Dr. Moore completed her doctorate

of education at the University of San Francisco. She is an innovative and strategic

administrator working most of her career in higher education through the California

Community College system. She consistently ensures educational access to

underrepresented and underserved students and has positively impacted young

people’s lives for over two decades. Currently serving as the president of Cañada College

in Redwood City, she continues to increase access to college with a K-12 pathway

partnership, helps emancipated foster youth through the Guardian Scholars program, and

is a tireless advocate for student funding. She also serves as a Governor’s appointee on the

California Student Aid Commission.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Dr. Jenni Murphy, EdD ’12 (Educational Leadership and Policy)

Dean, College of Continuing Education, Sacramento State

After a decade in private industry, Dr. Murphy found her way to higher education. She

started out as an adjunct professor, then discovered the College of Continuing Education

at Sacramento State where she currently serves as the Dean. Jenni uses creativity, data,

and perseverance to serve the adult learners in our community with a passion for degree

attainment for working-age adults. She strives to make education at Sacramento State

and around the region accessible and affordable to all. In addition, she is very active

in the community, serving on the board of directors for both the Girl Scouts Heart of

Central California and Impact Foundry. Her goal is to synchronize people and resources

to achieve greater outcomes in the community. After earning her doctorate of education

at Sacramento State, she has remained connected to the program as a mentor, helping

students and lending expertise.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

R. Scott Owens ’86

(Criminal Justice)

Retired District Attorney, Placer County

After earning his degree at Sacramento State, Scott continued his learning at McGeorge

School of Law. He has applied his law degree toward serving the Placer County

community in the County Probation and District Attorney’s Office for more than 36 years.

He also shares his passion through teaching at the Sierra College Police Academy. As part

of the Placer Advisory Council, he helped envision a Placer County Crime Lab that will

be part of the new Sacramento State Placer Center. His community service focuses on

assisting victims and survivors of elder abuse and domestic violence.

RISING STAR AWARD

Rhys Hoskins ’15

(Business Administration)

First Baseman/Left Fielder, Philadelphia Phillies

Rhys is a passionate supporter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). This

connection came into focus for him in high school after spending two unforgettable

summers as an MDA summer camp counselor and leader. After playing baseball for the

Sacramento State Hornets and earning many accolades—Western Athletic Conference

(WAC) Freshman of the Year and three-time Academic All-WAC—he was drafted to

the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014, making his Major League Baseball debut in August

2017. He quickly earned National League Rookie of the Month hitting 10 home runs

in five consecutive games, and that was just the beginning. He now uses his platform

to promote, volunteer, and raise awareness for MDA. His ongoing efforts have resulted

in earning the Phillies Service Award in 2016—awarded to the player with the most

volunteer hours.

RISING STAR AWARD

Alyssa Nakken ’12

(Psychology)

Coach, San Francisco Giants

Alyssa made history this spring as the first female coach in Major League Baseball. She

started as a baseball operations intern with the San Francisco Giants working with

international scouting, supporting the draft, and building an understanding of player

development. She made her mark as the Giants progressed toward the 2014 World Series

run where she took on organizing many of the logistics. Alyssa kept finding opportunities

to make a difference, and as the Giants built the new coaching staff for the 2020 season,

the opportunity to coach came to her as she brought five years of experience with the

team in addition to her knowledge of and love for the game. Her journey started at

Sacramento State as a student athlete on the Hornet softball team. She is a four-time

National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Scholar Athlete and Commissioner’s Honor Roll

recipient.

HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD

David BachCEO, The Bach Group

David has been an avid Sacramento State supporter for years. To the outside observer,

you would never know that he earned his undergraduate degree from Cal State Long

Beach and not Sacramento State. You will find David and his wife Margot at Hornet

football games, speaker events, music and art performances and other events, but his

engagement runs much deeper. David serves on the University Enterprises, Inc. board

of directors and also sits on their audit committee, plus he serves as an appointee to the

first statewide CSU investment board. His campus passion programs include Guardian

Scholars, the Veteran’s Success Program, and scholarships in the College of Arts and

Letters. In addition, he spends time volunteering at the Sacramento Police Department,

attending Renaissance Society classes, and presenting courses on financial issues.

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS OF THE

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD [1987–2019]Suzanne Adan _______ 2000

Kimo Ah Yun ________ 2017

Larry Augusta _______ 2007

Christine Ault _______ 2016

Michael Ault ________ 2016

Virginia Avila _______ 2003

Margot Shinnamon Bach 2018

Karen Bakula _______ 2009

Fred Uhl Ball ________ 1991

Maureen Bauman_____ 2014

Charles Bell ________ 2009

Jack Bertolucci_______ 2006

Felicia Bessent ______ 1992

Lou Blanas _________ 2000

Tami R. Bogert _______ 2015

Frank Borgia ________ 1987

Phil Boyer _________ 1993

Janice Rogers Brown ___ 1997

Michael L. Brown _____ 2005

Mary Nosler Buehler ___ 1995

David Bugatto _______ 2013

Christopher Cabaldon __ 2002

Jamie Candelaria _____ 1993

Dale Carlsen ________ 2002

Michael Carter _______ 2008

Edward J. Chavez _____ 1998

Saori Choulos _______ 2019

Kraig Clark _________ 2017

Patricia Cochran ______ 2001

Deborah Colberg _____ 1990

William Collard ______ 1996

Ward Connerly_______ 1992

C. Carson Conrad _____ 1990

Dr. Marideth A. Curfman-Janssen _____ 2019

Douglas Curley ______ 2010

Fred Dalkey ________ 2004

Ron Davis _________ 2001

Fred A. Dawkins ______ 1990

Christine L. Dean _____ 1998

Robert Dean ________ 2003

Daniel DeFoe _______ 1998

Edward Del Biaggio____ 2003

Cheryl Dell _________ 2013

Jeff Dern __________ 2019

Linda Dixon ________ 1992

Clarke J. Dominguez ___ 1998

Michael Dourgarian ___ 2003

Cate Dyer __________ 2015

Patrick Fenwick ______ 2006

Giselle Fernandez _____ 1997

Jesus Fernandez, Jr. ____ 2000

Helena Fitch-Snyder ___ 2010

John Fitzgerald ______ 1992

Jim Fitzpatrick _______ 2003

Nick Floratos ________ 1987

Roger G. F. Fong ______ 1997

Alejandro Garcia _____ 2009

Carol Garcia ________ 2017

Al Geiger __________ 1995

Marjorie Geiszler _____ 1989

John Gesek _________ 2008

Thomas M. Gilbert ____ 2011

Kayla Gillan ________ 2004

C. Stanley Gilliam _____ 1989

Gloria Glyer ________ 1996

Jim Gomez _________ 2015

Greg Hagwood ______ 2012

Lauren Hammond ____ 2007

Ken Hansen ________ 1993

Mary Hargrave ______ 2000

Gilbert Herdt________ 2017

Lory Heron _________ 1999

John & Margi Herzog ___ 2012

Chris Higdon ________ 2014

Jack Higdon ________ 2006

Gail Hullibarger ______ 2003

Albert Hurtado ______ 1999

Richard Johns _______ 2002

Allen Johnson _______ 1994

Craig T. Johnson ______ 2004

Grantland Johnson ____ 1991

Said A. Kaki ________ 1991

Joseph J. Kearns ______ 1997

Eddie Kho _________ 2010

Suzanne Kingsbury ____ 2002

Ana Klein __________ 2018

Greg Knapp ________ 2008

Gregory Kondos ______ 1994

Michael Kuhlmann ____ 2013

Pat Fong Kushida _____ 2015

Paul Lau __________ 2011

Kelvin K. Lee ________ 1998

William Lee ________ 2002

June LaVerne Long ____ 1993

Antonia Lopez _______ 1993

Duane Lowe ________ 1996

Dave Lucchetti _______ 1994

Gregg Lukenbill ______ 2001

Garry Maisel ________ 2013

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS OF THE

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD [1987–2019]Kenneth Macias ______ 2004

Mary Louise Mack_____ 2002

Robert F. Mange _____ 1989

Robin Martial _______ 2004

Scott Maxwell _______ 2007

James P. Mayer ______ 2014

Denise Mazzucca-Barrett 1996

Patrick C. McClain _____ 2019

Elizabeth McClatchy ___ 1992

Mike McGowan ______ 1998

Kathleen McGrath ____ 2001

John McNamara ______ 1987

Janet McWilliams _____ 2000

Cristina Mendonsa ____ 2010

David H. Mering ______ 2004

Silvia Sun Minnick ____ 1994

H. Kit Miyamoto ______ 2012

Joseph Mohamed, Sr. ___ 1999

Gil Moore __________ 2002

Jacki Morris-Henderson _ 2019

Ted. D. Morse _______ 1998

Melba O. Mosher _____ 2004

John F. Moulds _______ 1998

Bill Mueller ________ 2018

Todd Murch ________ 2005

Tim Murphy ________ 2016

Margo Murray _______ 1988

Albert Nájera _______ 2005

Sia Nemat-Nasser _____ 2008

Trong D. Nguyen______ 1991

Jan A. Nolta ________ 2009

Gloria Nomura _______ 2007

Kitty O’Neal ________ 2001

Mark Otero _________ 2012

Sam Pannell ________ 1993

Randy Paragary ______ 1999

Theresa Parker _______ 2006

Alice Perez _________ 2007

Ann Perez _________ 2016

Craig Perez _________ 2016

Robert Perry-Smith____ 2002

Steve Pleau ________ 1997

William Popejoy ______ 1996

John M. Poswall ______ 1995

Ted Puntillo ________ 2011

Judy Quattrin _______ 2003

Leticia Quezada ______ 1991

Michael Reinero ______ 2010

Randy Reynoso ______ 2006

Lee Ritchey ________ 2015

Robert H. Rivinius ____ 1989

Ben Roberts ________ 2003

Pauline Roccucci _____ 1995

Deborah Ross-Swain ___ 2016

Jean Runyon ________ 1988

Anton Saca _________ 2000

Pamela G. Saltenberger _ 2004

Paul J. Sax _________ 1998

Walter B. Schaub _____ 2008

Jan Scully __________ 1996

Ray Shaddick _______ 2001

John Shaw _________ 2002

James Shelby _______ 1994

Javed Siddiqui _______ 2014

Lloyd Snelson _______ 2007

Rhonda Staley-Brooks __ 2013

Michael Stevens ______ 2000

Kirk B. Sturm _______ 2005

René Syler _________ 2006

Scott C. Syphax ______ 2005

Andrei Tokmakoff _____ 2017

Fred Teichert ________ 2002

Wayne Thiebaud _____ 1990

Keri Thomas ________ 2014

Robert Thomas ______ 2000

Holly Tiche _________ 2010

Charles Trainor ______ 1999

Paulette Trainor ______ 2008

Tina Treis __________ 2011

Dr. Joseph Tuscano ____ 2018

Michael Ubaldi ______ 2001

Raymond P. Valdez ____ 1995

Roger Valine ________ 1997

Robbie Waters _______ 2004

Richard P. Weaver _____ 1997

Tom Weborg ________ 1997

Malcolm S. Weintraub __ 1990

Angelo A. Williams ____ 2017

Lawrence Williams ____ 2007

Mary Jane Young _____ 2004

Rosemary Younts _____ 2005

Scott Yuill__________ 2015

Karen Y. Zamarripa ____ 2007

Daniel Zingale _______ 2007

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS OF THE

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS OF THE

HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD

William Campbell, III ___ 2006

Larry Cook _________ 2009

Gary Quattrin _______ 2019

Judy Quattrin _______ 2019

Joseph Serna, Jr. _____ 2000

Jan Scully __________ 2015

Joseph Sheley _______ 2012

Angelo Tsakopoulos ___ 2001

Roger Valine ________ 2007

Fred Anderson _______ 1993

Stan Atkinson _______ 2000

Cal Boyes __________ 1997

Roy Brophy ________ 2002

Patricia Clark-Ellis _____ 2011

Ray Clemons ________ 2004

Rose Mary Clemons ___ 2003

Sonney Chong _______ 2005

Dan Cole __________ 2007

George M. Crandell ____ 2009

Louis Desmond ______ 1995

Mark Drobny ________ 2008

Donald Gillott _______ 1994

Alexander Gonzalez ___ 2011

Gary Hart __________ 2003

Thomas Hobday ______ 1998

Fred Hummel _______ 1992

Muriel Johnson ______ 2001

Susan McGinty ______ 2016

Josef Moorehead _____ 2001

Enlow Ose _________ 1995

Norman J. Phillips ____ 1990

Alex G. Spanos _______ 1999

Pamela Stewart ______ 2008

Harry Sweet ________ 1999

H. Nicholas Windeshausen 2003

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS OF THE

RISING STAR AWARD

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS OF THE

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD

Krista Bernasconi _____ 2011

Baldwin Chiu _______ 2010

Ryan M. Harrison _____ 2017

Justin Knighten ______ 2016

Robert Meza ________ 2012

Dr. Meagan O’Malley ___ 2019

Philip I. Person ______ 2015

Christina Preston _____ 2013

Janay Swain ________ 2012

Tracy Young ________ 2018

W. Richard Cobb ______ 1989

Dan Decious ________ 1989

William Dorman _____ 1992

Irvin E. Faria ________ 1997

Marilyn Hopkins _____ 2006

Kim Hughes ________ 2007

Kenneth Kerri _______ 1996

Robert H. Metcalf _____ 1995

Scott J. Modell _______ 2004

Barbara O’Connor _____ 1994

Kenneth Owens ______ 2000

Felicenne Ramey _____ 2002

Joseph Serna, Jr. _____ 1991

Gail Tom __________ 1999

Dennis Tootelian _____ 1993

Marlene von Friedrichs-Fitzwater

2003

Robert Waste _______ 2001

Ann Weldy _________ 2005

William Whitehead ____ 1988

Donald Zingale ______ 1992

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS OF THE

ORDER OF THE HORNETThe Order of the Hornet Award was presented from 1972-1985. In 1987, the awards became known as the Distinguished Service Awards, however the Order of the Hornet designation is periodically given to selected recipients.

Steven Arvizu _______ 1982

Donald Bailey _______ 1976

John W. Baker _______ 1976

Sandra Baker _______ 1982

Henry A. Bamman ____ 1980

Robert W. Bell ______ 1991

William Campbell, III __ 1988

Lloyd Connelly ______ 1985

Philip Cowan _______ 1999

George Creel _______ 1981

Lewis Crowl ________ 1978

Robert Curry _______ 1988

Dennis Gardemeyer ___ 2001

Alexander Gonzalez ___ 2015

Robert Gustafson _____ 1977

Rod Hamilton _______ 1981

Isabel Hernandez-Serna 1995

Phillip Isenberg ______ 1980

W. Lloyd Johns ______ 1983

John P. Kearns _______ 1985

Keith B. Kenny ______ 1979

Gary Kimmel _______ 2001

Frank LaPena _______ 1995

Winnie Leung _______ 1989

Dorothy Lombard ____ 1987

Carl Ludwig ________ 1984

Catherine MacMillian __ 2000

Gordon P. Martin _____ 1980

Robert Mattos _______ 1987

Hubert McCormick ____ 1973

Joe A. McGowan _____ 1978

Melinda Melendez ____ 1999

John Messner _______ 1998

David Morse ________ 1990

Stanley Pretzer ______ 1978

Gary Quattrin _______ 1991

John Ranlett _______ 1990

Ann Reardon _______ 1981

Harold B. Roberts ____ 1977

Paul Robins ________ 1999

Gordon D. Schaber ____ 1972

Dixie Schneider ______ 2000

J. Harold Severaid ____ 1979

Bev Short _________ 1998

John Smith ________ 1994

Ron W. Smith _______ 1993

George Sumner ______ 1980

Jack Waymire _______ 1994

Thomas Willoughby ___ 1984

Robert Wyman ______ 1972

Steve Yamshon ______ 1997

Efra Zollinger _______ 1978

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